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The announcement was made by Premier Jay Weatherill on Tuesday,
saying that it was essential to help reach its target of $10 billion
investment in “low carbon” generation by 2025.

According to government modelling, around $4.5 billion has already
been committed in the state. South Australia already has nearly 1.5GW of
wind energy - more than 40% of the nation’s total, and more
than 550MW of rooftop solar, or nearly one if four houses.

“This new target of half of the States power to be generated by
renewable sources will create jobs and drive capital investment and
advanced manufacturing industries,” Weatherill said in a statement. But he said South Australia will only meet its target if the Federal
Government maintains the current Renewable Energy Target Scheme
arrangements.

“The sovereign risk created by the Federal Government’s unnecessary
and unexplained review into the national RET has caused a number of
projects to be placed on hold, putting many construction projects and
ongoing jobs at risk,” Weatherill said.

“There are hundreds, if not thousands of SA jobs in the renewable
energy sector - these are the growth areas we should be supporting, not
undermining.”

(RenewEconomy asked the Premier’s press people if SA was considering
an independent target of 50%, regardless of federal policy -
like the 90% target of the ACT - but has not gotten a response
as yet).

The
Premier’s statement noted that updated numbers from the Australian
Energy Market Operator expected this month are likely to show SA has
exceeded the target of 33%. The latest project, the 275MW
Snowtown wind farm, has only just been commissioned, so will add to that
figure in the current year.

“We took action at the local level, passing the nation’s first
dedicated climate change legislation and were the first State with a
strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Weatherill said.

“We have demonstrated in South Australia is that, with the right
policies and incentives, and with strong leadership and clear goals,
even highly ambitious targets can be achieved and surpassed".

Solar Citizens Campaigns Director, Claire O’Rourke, said the SA
achievement demonstrated the benefits of increasing opportunities for
rooftop solar which helps households reduce their power bills.

“The SA Government has shown strong leadership in creating a solar
revolution where nearly a quarter (23%) of South Australian homes are
now powered by the sun,” O’Rourke said in a statement.

“The Abbott Government should look closely at what’s been achieved in
South Australia and follow its lead by maintaining and growing the
target".

Meanwhile, the heads of Australia’s major large-scale solar projects
converged on Canberra today, to continue their fight to save the
Renewable Energy Target.

Business leaders from international companies including First Solar,
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) and SunPower will meet with key
ministers and parliamentarians to remind them how crucial the RET has
been, and continues to be, to get large-scale solar projects up and
running in Australia.

“We’ll be telling them that if the RET is slashed, the future looks
grim for large-scale solar in Australia,” Clean Energy Council acting
chief Kane Thornton said.

“Investors in utility-scale solar projects need to feel the funds
they are committing are secure before they will come on board,” said
SunPower Australia’s Wilf Johnston.

“Since its introduction in 2001, the RET has
provided that security for developers. Without it, it will be much
harder for them to decide to support Australian projects,” he said.

Key federal government cabinet ministers are expected to decide in coming days whether they will keep the RET as it is, or not. More than 1,000 renewable energy companies, workers and supporters
have also signed up to attend major events in Australia’s capital cities
this Friday to protest the axing of the RET.

The event marks the first time Solar Citizens, the Clean Energy
Council, Australian Solar Council, the Solar Energy Industries
Association and the Australian Wind Alliance have united to protest the
unprecedented attacks on renewable jobs, growth and investment.